Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-07-01


whine, "but half an hour ago ! heard YOU
coming. | don't know what is the matter
with the air tonight, but it sounded as
though twenty people were galloping after
you. | could hear them all quite clear; first
the big black horse, and then all those who
came after, just as though they were hunting
you; and SO came out and lay down to lis.
ten, and it was not till you were quite close.
that one by one the others stopped. Perhaps
it was tho devils who galoped."
course you, stop that wizards talk" said
Muller, his teeth chatterng with fear and
agitation "Take the horse and clean and
feed him well; he has galloped far, and we
start at dawn. Stop tell me, where are the.
lights and the brandy If you have drunk
the brandy will fog you"
"Thcy are on the shelf on the left as you
go in baas, and there is flesh there, too, and
bread"
Muller swung himself from the saddle and
entered the hut, pushing open the cranky,
broken hinged door with kick. He found
the box of Tandstickor matches, and, after
one or two false shots-due chiefly to his shak~
ing hand-succeeded in getting fire and light
ing coarse dip such the Beers make out
of mutton fat. Near the candle was a bottle
of peach brandy two-thirds full, and tin
pannikin and jug of river water. Selling
the pannkin, he filled it half full of spirit,
added little water, and drank the mixture
off. Then he took down the meat and bread
from the same shelf and, cutting some OF
each off with his clasp knife, tried to eat.
| But he could not eat much, and soon gave up.
the attempt, consoling himself instead with
the brandy.
"Bahl" he said, "the stuff tastes like hel
fire." and he filed his pipe and sat smoking.
| Presently Hendrix came in to say that the
| horse was eating well, and was about to GO
again, when his master beckoned him to
stop. The man was surprised, for Muller
was not generally fond of his society, except
when he wanted to consult him or get him to
exercise his pretended art of divination; tut
the fact was that at that moment Frank
Muller would have been glad to consort with
dog. he events of the night had brought
this terrible man, STEPPED i'll iniquity from
his youth up, down to the level of child
frightened at the dark For a while he sat
i'll silence, the Katiir squatted on the ground
at his feet. Presently however, the doses Of
powerful spirit took effect on him, and he
began to talk more unguardedly than was his
custom, even with his black familiar" Hen
dirk.
"How long have you been here:' he asked
of his retainer.
about four days, baas."
"Did you take my letter to ON Croft's'"
"Yah, baas, l gave it to the missile"
"What did she dol"
) "She read it and then stood like this, hold
ing on to the veranda pole;' and he opened
his mouth and one eye. and twisted up his
hideous countenance into CHASTITY imitation
of Bessie's sorrow stricken face, catching hold
of one of the posts that supported the hut to
assist in the performance.
$50 she believed itl'
"Surely."
, "Well, we are going there tomorrow"
$50, baasl 1 knew that before you told
, me-"
| "We are going there, and we are going to
: take the place; and we are going to try Uncle
8 Sias 10y court martial for flying an English
P flag, and if he is found guilty We are going tc
Y shoot him, Hendrix"
e 80, baas" said the kaf1r, rubbing his
y hands in glee; but will he be found guilty2'
q II don't know" murmured the white man,
stroking his golden beard; "that will depend
upon what missile has to say; and upon the
verdict of the court" he added 10y way Of an
afterthought
"On the verdict of the court, ha, ha"
chuckled his wicked satellite. "On the YER
dict of the court, yes yes! and the baas
will be president, ha, ha, One needs no
: wtchcraft to guess the verdict. And if the
court fnd6 Uncle Silas guilty, who VIII dc
the shooting, baas'"
81 have not thought of that; the time has
not come to think of it, 1t does not matter
anybody can carry out the sentence Of the
iaW =
, BIAS said the kaflir, 81 have done much
for you and had little pay. have done ugly
things. | have read omens and made medi-
cnes, and 'smet out yogr enemies. VIII
you grant me tavorl Will you let me shoot
| ON Croft if the court finds him guilty. 1t is
not much to ask, bans. | am clever wiz
{ card. aud deserve ny pay"
, why d you vGi' 20 shoot himE
because he hogaed me ovce, years ago,
for being a witch doctor and the other day
he hunted me OFF the place. Besides, it is so
nice to shoot white man. | should like it
better he went ON, with smack OF the lips,
2 ''if it were missile, who set the dog On me,
would
3 In a moment Frank Muller had the aston
ished ruffian by the throat and was kicking
and shaking him as though he were a toy.
2 His brutal talk of Bessie had appealed 10 such
manliness as he had in him, and, whatever his
4 ! own wcliednesS may have been, he was toe
B, , madly in love with the woman to let her name
$ be taken in vain by nan whom, though he
held his 'magic" in superstitiouS reverence,
D he yet ranked lower than dog With his
9 nerves strung to the highest possible state of
| tension, and half drunk be was, Frank
!. Muller was no more person TO he played
1 with or irritated than a mad bull.
? you black beast r he yelled, IF you ever
e dare to mention her name again like that
t will kill you, for all your wltchcraft,' and he
A hurled him with such force up against the
/ wall of the hut that the whole place shook.
f The man fell, lay for moment groaning and
b then crept from the hut on his hands and
r knees
. Muller sat scowling from under his bent
r brows and watched him so. When he was
. gone he rose and fastened the door behind
? him, and then suddenly burst into tears; the
S result, no doubt of the mingled effects of the
b drink, mental and physical exhaustion and
the never resting passion lone can scarcely
call it love- that ate away at his heart like the
N worm that dieth not.